Over the past few weeks we’ve been talking about how to use Facebook and social media for sharing Christ and sparking spiritual conversations with our unsaved friends. While some of these ideas are very practical and can be easily implement today, social media is always morphing.
In 10 years from now, the landscape of the web will probably look very different. Just to see how far we’ve already come, consider that Facebook is only 8 years old total and only 7 years old as an open social platform. YouTube and Twitter were both founded in 2005, making them only 6 years old. In fact, the only social media platform I could find that’s at least 10 years old is the force of knowledge that is known as Wikipedia, which is 11 years old.
To project what social media will look like 10 years from now is impossible, especially when it comes to trying to help our students know how to leverage it for evangelism.
But that’s okay because there’s a better approach to ensuring that the future of social media is always saturated with the gospel anyway, and it has nothing to do with what the future of social media actually looks like.
We secure the future of discipleship and evangelism in social media by training and pushing our students to grow deep into God’s Word and to passionately take it wide to the people around them. Hopefully this becomes a natural expression of their faith no matter where they engage and interact with others, not just online, but on the athletic field, in the cafeteria, at work, with their family, and everywhere else. This is truly the only way to influence the future of the gospel’s presence in social media.
But here’s the kicker: are we doing that ourselves? Are we setting the example and the model that our students need in this area? Do they see us utilizing social media to share our faith and encourage others spiritually? As we start to do it, experiment, and explore, then we are in a better position to help students understand how to do it, too.
As I’ve said here before, I try to never ask my kids to do something that I am not first doing myself. That way, when I challenge them with it, they see that it flows from my experiences and my life and not just from my notes. It shows teens that I’m serious about this and that I’m in this with them and that I actually expect it to be lived out, not just talked about.
Let’s model for teenagers what a life of faith looks like when it oozes into all areas of life, including our online social spaces. Let’s show them how Christ influences our conversations both face-to-face and online. Let’s encourage them to start thinking about social media as a place to share Christ, not just now, but continuing on in 10 years from now, as well.
Have you ever intentionally brought Christ up in a conversation online? Share the story with us and how you felt about it.
